Proxima Centauri vs Rigil Kentaurus

Property Proxima Centauri Rigil Kentaurus
Designação N/A Alp1Cen
Constelação Centaurus Centaurus
Classe Espectral Class M — M-type (Red) Class G — G-type (Yellow)
Magnitude Aparente +11.01 -0.01
Magnitude Absoluta 15.45 4.38
Distância 4.2 ly 4.3 ly
Massa N/A N/A
Raio N/A N/A
Temperatura N/A N/A
Luminosidade N/A N/A

Key Differences

  • Both are members of the Alpha Centauri system, the nearest stellar system to the Sun.
  • Rigil Kentaurus (Alpha Cen A) is a G-type solar analog; Proxima Centauri is an M-type red dwarf.
  • Rigil Kentaurus is slightly more massive and luminous than the Sun; Proxima Centauri has just 12% of the Sun's mass.
  • Proxima Centauri orbits the Alpha Centauri AB pair at a vast distance of roughly 0.2 light-years.
  • Rigil Kentaurus is visible to the naked eye at magnitude −0.01; Proxima is invisible without a telescope.

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